Device for the rewinding of photographic films



1936- H. J. STREYCKMANS 2,

DEVICE FOR THE REWINDING OF PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed March 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W g, Y 5 l .3 INVENTOR- Q Z ATTORN EY- Feb. 18, 1936. H. J. STREYCKMANS 2,031,079

DEVICE FQR THE REWINDING OF PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed March 6, 191 53 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W NVENTOR- ATTORNEY- I Patented Feb. is, 1936 PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR THE REWINDING OF PHOTOGRAPHIU FILMS Hector J. Streyckmans, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne. assignments, to Automation Pictures,

Inc. of New York, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 6, 1933, Serial No. 659,796

' 10 Claims. (o1. 88-18.?)

My invention relates to automatic motion picture projectors, and refers particularly to rewinding and feeding the continuous film in such a projector.

, In devices of this kind, the supply 'of endless film is in the form of an annulus which is supported and rotatably carried on an annular stationary reel. The film is fed to the projector head from the inside of the film annulus, which is thereby caused to rotate, and such rotation rewinds the used film, coming from theprojector head, upon the outside of this continuously rotating' annulus of film.

Since, in such an annular coil of film, the circumferential length of the outer coils isgreater than the circumferential length of the inner coils, it is obvious that all of the coils must continuously slip relatively to one another, circumferentially of the rotating annulus of film and longitudinally of the film itself. The pull of the rotating film annulus upon the film as it is rewound continuously contracts the larger outer coils upon the smaller inner coils. This sliding of the film -coils upon one another results in considerable frictional resistance, since the coils of filmmust constantly become adjusted, growing smaller and smaller asthey pass inward. Should the film become slightly damp, from either humidity or oil, as it sometimes does, the frictional resistance is increased.

This feeding and concomitant rewinding operation is accomplished, in the device of my invention, by means of an endless traveling belt having an arcuate portion or run passing over a. suflicient number of idler rollers, so as to have a gripping friction. drive applied thereby to the inner face of the innermost coil of film. -This'- belt may thus pass over the peripherally outer sides of a'chosen number of such idler rollers, in the upper portion of the ring thereof, suchas may be efiectivefor the purpose. At the ends of such arcuate series of idler rollers, this belt passes to the inside of the ring of idlers and then around a driving pulley therefor. This drive pulley may have frictional driving engagement-with the belt, which has proved to be. effective under usual conditions, but such driving engagement is desirably of a positive nature. This is conveniently accom-v plished by means of a driving sprocket'wheel having a smooth periphery provided with teeth in the form of rounded driving studs which pass through perforations in the belt. Such a belt "may be of any suitable material which will not stretch too readily and which will provide a. good shown). jector head l2 feeds the film l4 downward, in 45 friction grip upon the film, and pigskin has been found to be such a material.

' The device'of my invention includes features of construction and combination of parts, by means ofwhich new and improved results are produced, as will appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar parts are designated by similarnumerals and in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention in a continuous automatic projecting machine. V

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure .1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a driving sprocket for a film-feeding belt, as appears in Figure 1.

' Figure 4 is an enlarged perspectiveview of the line 6-5 chine in part.shown in the accompanying drawings is, of a usual construction, with the exception of such changes in the construction of the rewinding mechanism thereof as are incident to the embodiment of my invention therein. In the projector illustrated in the drawings, various parts of the mechanismare mounted upon a main frame plate H. Among these is a projector head l2. The mechanism of this projector headis indicated as being driven in the usual manner by means of a belt I3 which may proceed, as is usual, from an electric motor (not The mechanism contained in the prothe usual intermittent manner. This film I is continuous or endless, that is, the opposite ends of such film have been spliced together.

The film I4 is immediately or adjacently fed or supplied to the projector head l2 by a sprocket wheel I5, and the used film'coming from the projector head is taken up by means of a similar sprocket, Wheel (not shown). This latter or take-ofi sprocket is in line with the film as it comes from the projector head, while the supply sprocket i5 is out of such alignment, towards the front as viewed in Figure l and to the left as seen in Figure 2. These two sprockets are in axial alignment, coupled together and are con-,

tinuously positively driven, in a usual manner in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1,

by means of the usual, or any suitable connecover the top of the above noted take-oif sprocket. The upwardly turning film is retained on the supply sprocket i5 by a flanged idler! roller i6, and a similar film-retaining idler (not shown) as provided for the above mentioned take-01f sprocket, as is usual.

The supply of film M as it moves toward the,

projector head i2 isguided to the feeding or supply sprocket i5 by means of a widely flanged idling guide roller ii. In View of the fact that the film l4 rises to this guide roller ii at an edgewise angle, as indicated in Figure 1 and as clearly shown in Figure 2, in carrying out my invention this guide roller ii is made of a cone shape, with its smaller end outward or at thefront in Figure 1 and at the left in Figures 2 and 6. In other respects this part of the projector mechanism just described is shown as of a usual construction. Between this mechanism and the upper and lower endsv of the projector head I2 there are the usual upper and lower slack loops in the film l4, of which the upper loop twists edgewise into alignment with the projector head intake. The sprocket i5 for the ingoing film'to be used and its above noted companion sprocket for the outgoing or used film, may be considered as filmcontrolling sprockets for the projector head l2.

. A secondary frame plate i 8 is carried by the main frame plate I in spaced relation thereto and is mounted thereon, in a usual manner, by

means of spaces (not'shown) and screws |9, |9.

This frame plate I8, on its outer face, carries the reel' for the coiled annulus of continuous film I4 and is provided centrally with a large circular hole, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The reel itself;

is formed bymeans of a circular series or ring of loosely journaled spools or idler rollers shown as twenty in number, in all, mounted upon the outer face of the secondary frame plate l8 immediately surrounding its large circular hole..

These idler rollers are shown as equidistantly circumferentially spaced, or substantially so. Of the twenty idler rollers or spools shown, five of them, 20, 20, in aconsecutive arcuate series, at the top, are alike and are desirably smooth straight cylindrical rollers of even diameter throughout their length, extending throughout the width of the film I4, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, for a purpose to be described later.

Thirteen other idler rollers 20A, 20A form two lateral consecutive arcuate series which extend downwardly respectively from the opposite ends of the series of top rollers 20, 20. These laterally disposed rollers 20A, 20A are desirably circumferentially grooved out to a reduced diameter between flange-like end portions thereof of larger diameter, as shown inthe lower part of Figure 2, as has been commonly done with film-bearing rollers, so as thereby to engage only with the margins of the film M and thus not come into contact with the picture-bearing body portion of the film. All of the idler rollers 20, 20 and 20A, 20A are loosely journaled on studs 2|, 2| projecting from the frame plate l8, as shownin Figures 1, 2 and 7. The lowermost idler roller 20A, 20A but has wide flanges at its ends so as to serve as a guide for the outgoing portion of the continuous film.|4 at this point, and is loose- 2 1y journaled on one of the studs 2|, 2|.

The final idler roller 23, adjacent to the guide roller 22 in the circular series or ring of idler rollers, is of cone shape, with its larger end directed outward, or towardsthe front as viewed in Figure l and to the left as seen in Figures 2 and 5, this roller having a reduced diameter intermediate of its length and being flanged at its inner or smaller end, and is journaled on a bearing stud 2|A. The outgoing portion of the endless film I4 is guided to this last roller 23by the flanged guide roller 22. The film i4 passes around the cone-shaped idler roller 23 to the inside of the ring of idlers. From this idler 23 the film passes upwardly, turning edgewise outwardly, or towards the left in Figure 2, the smaller inner end of the cone-shaped roller 23 providing for this turn in the carrying out of my invention. From this inwardly tapering cone-shaped delivery idler 23, which is substantially at the bottom of the ring of idlers, the film l4 rises rather loosely, that is, with some slackness, or at times with slight tension, to the oppositely cone-shaped flanged guide roller H.

In carrying out my invention, not only are the sprocket holes in the margins of the film not used at all in the rewinding operation, but desirably the film is not in any other way pulled out 22, shown in Figure 1, is similar to the rollers,

annulus is clockwise as indicated by the arrow accompanying drawings, an endless traveling belt 24 is employed for frictionally driving the.

coiled annulus of continuous film 4. This belt 24 has a sufficiently long substantially arcuate length or run thereof interposed between the innermost coil of film 4 and a sufiicient number of the idler rollers 20,, 20. In the particular device of my invention shown in the drawings, this belt 24 passes around or over an upper arcuate .series of five of such idlers 20, 20. Thus this belt 24 is in frictional driving engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of the continuous film l4 throughout substantially an upper quadrant of the complete circle. This frictional driving portion of the belt 24 is desirably at the top, as'shown, so that thus nearly all of the weight .of the coil of film I4 is borne-upon this frictional film-driving portion of the belt 24, which supports and carries the coil of film, with a corresponding augmentation of frictional gripping engagement of the belt with the film, while there is more looseness between the coils of the fllm at other particularly along the bottom along itssmooth cylindrical periphery, driven at the same peripheral speed as the peripheral speed portion of such coils, where there is desirably considerable slack, so that the successive coils there become more or less separated, or spaced from one another, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The coil-driving belt 24 passes to the'insideof the ring of idler rollers 20, 20, (20A, 20A), 22, 3, around the terminal idlers 20, 20 of the ab e noted arcuate series of five thereof. Within this ring of idler rollers the belt 24 passes around a driving pulley 25 therefor. This driving pulley is shown as a sprocket wheel having a smooth cylindrical peripheral surface with a circumferential series of rounded studs 26, 26 projecting radially therefrom along the middle line thereof 1 and forming sprocket teeth. These sprdcket teeth 26 engage in perforations or holes 21, 2? through the belt 25, arranged in a continuous series along the center line of the belt, and equidistantly spaced, corresponding to the spacing of the sprocket teeth 26, 26. Thus in the construction shown, the traveling belt 23 is. driven in a positive manner by the sprocket wheel 25.

This film-driving friction belt. 24, as shown in the drawings, particularly in Figures 2 and '7, is

' of the full width of the film M and bears evenly and continuously throughout its width upon the longitudinally straight-surfaced cylindrical idler rollers 28], 2!] and similarly upon the smooth cylindrical peripheral surface of the belt-drivin sprocket wheel 25, and is shown as of considerable thickness. The outer side of this belt 25, which frictionally drives the film M, is desirably provided with a continuous longitudinal rather wide groove or channel24A between its marginal portions, which are of full thicknessthroughout. Thus this channel-shaped friction belt 24 engages only with the marginal portions .of the film I4 and does not touch the intermediate picture-carrying portion of the film, thereby preventing the possibility of the portion of the film which carries the picture from being scratched or marred by this .belt. The thicker margins of the belt 24 havea su fiiciently extended surface of engagement with the film. I4 for effectively moving it, with no liability of the film being torn.

The traveling belt 24, along its outer-face, is driven, by the sprocket 25, at a slightly greater linear speed than the continuous film I4 is fed to the projector head l2 by means of the projector sprocket I 5, and taken away by the above noted companion take-off sprocket. This usual intake sprocket l5 and the hereinbefore mentioned usual take-off sprocket (not shown) positively control the linear speed adjacent to the projector head l2, the sprocket l controlling I theintake of film to be used, while its companion sprocket controls the outgo of the used film, these two usual film-controlling sprockets being alike and continuously rotated in unison and in synchronism with the rate of use of the film. as it passes, by successive intermittent movements, through the projector head l2. As above noted, these controlling sprockets are commonly driven from the projector-head mechanism, of which they virtually form a part or feature.

These twocontrolling. sprockets, that is, the sprocket l5 and its mate, are fixed upon a rotatable shaft 28 which is continuously rotated by means of connections (not shown) with the mechanism'of the projector head l2. These two controlling sprockets, including the sprocket l5, and

the belt-driving sprocket for the film M are positively connected together for rotation in the same direction, with the belt-driving sprocket 25,

of the above noted controlling sprockets. The thickness of the belt 24 causes its film-engaging frictional belt-driving surface to move at a slight- -ly faster speed. With a thinner belt, it could be extended around'a larger arcuate number of the idler rollers 20, 20, in order to have sufficient frictional driving force, together with the proper amount of slipping of the belt on the film M.

The shaft 28 is journaled in bearings which are provided by a bracket 29 which is mounted upon the front of the projector head l2. This bracket also carries a stud 30 upon which the film retaining idler roller l6 for the sprocket I5 is mounted, "and further fixedly carries a stud 3i upon which the widely flanged film-guiding outwardly tapering cone-shaped idler roller H is mounted. The driving sprocket 25 for the belt 24 is fixed upon the outer end of a rotatable shaft 32 which 'is journaled in and passes through the central hub of a spider 33 which is firmly secured to the main frame plate l l of the projecting machine. I'his shaft32 is connected to the projector head shaft 28 to be positively driven thereby, by means of a sprocket wheel 33 fixed upon the inner end of the shaft 28, a sprocket wheel 35 fixed upon the inner end of the shaft 32 and a sprocket chain 36 extending between and around these sprocket Wheels 33 and 35, in the space between the main frame plate M and the secondary frame plate B8.

A flanged idler roller 3? guides the belt 24 to its driving sprocket 25. This guide roller 31 is adjustably mounted so as to serve also to maintain the belt 24 under the proper degree of tension or tightness. This roller 3'! is journaled on a stud 38 fixedly carried by and projecting out- I wardly from one end of 'a slide arm 39, which inclines upwardly towards the right as viewed in. Figures '1 and 8. This arm 39 is shown (in Figures 8 and 9) as of channel shape so as to be guided for longitudinal sliding movement along ment of the coil of film Hi from the reel, the front In the operation of the device of my invention,

the endless belt 24, by frictional engagement,

' moves the innermost coil of the continuous film l4 with a slight slippage thereon, relatively thereto. In practice, this slippage has been found to be intermittent or occasional and not constant or continuous. This innermost coil by reason of its frictional engagement with the next coil, moves idler 23 tightens the innermost coil of film against the upper film-engaging driving surface of the belt 24, thereby increasing the frictional filmdriving force, which thus speeds up the traveling movement of the film and transfers slack from the coiled roll thereof to the upwardly moving delivered portion thereof above the delivery idler 23. The continuous film rewinding device of my invention has thus proved tov be self-adjusting in its operation.

Otherwise stated, in the operation of the above described device of'my invention, the feed tension or drawing pull of the intake feed mechanism of the motion picture machine upon the film l4 used thereby automatically controls the rate of speed at which the film is fed to the machine. In my device. the drawing intake pull upon the film determines the amount of pressure of the face of the film upon the face of the continuously more rapidly moving friction surface of the feed belt 24 and thereby controls the amount of frictional driving force applied to the film- I4. h

The piece of film between the inner circle of my idlers and the projector head feed sprocket automatically controls the synchronism. As above noted, if this stretch of film starts to tighten it pulls the inner layer of film more tightly against the belt 24 which then automatically sends out more film. When this stretch of film becomes loose the pressure of the inner layer of film against the belt becomes less so that then correspondingly less film is pushed out by this belt.

The principle in accordance with which the device of my invention operates, together with the result produced, depends upon two things in combination. First, the faster speed of the feed belt 2 3, as compared with the speed of use of the film by the machine, determined by its intake sprocket l5, which rotates continuously. Second, the varying of the rate of speed at which the belt 24 feeds the film M out of the coil and towards the sprocket l5, by varying the amountof friction of the film I4 upon the faster movingbelt 24, since varying this friction varies the speed at which" the film is fed, to make such speed of the film either faster or slower than the speed at which the film is positively used by the machine.

Thus it will be seen, that there is not at all times at-every moment, absolute synchronism between the rateof outgo of the film from the coil and the rate of its intake by the machine, but the average.

rate of such fiim leaving the coil does synchronize precisely with the rate of use of this film by the machine. The rate of speed at which the film l4 is fed by the belt 24 is thus variable and at any given moment is determined by the amount of using 1,000 feet, or more, of film, thus to render such machines continuous and automaticin operation. Myinvention is also advantageously applicable to amateur. and professional projectors, us-

ing films of shorter length and commonly of smaller size as to width.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction of the device shown in the drawings and above particularly described, within the principle and scope of my invention as of a substantially annular coiled roll thereof from the inside of which such film is returned to the projector head in an automatic projecting machine, in combination, an annular stationary reel for the coiled film including an upper arcuate series of idler rollers, an endless traveling belt passing along the upper sides of saidseries of idler rollers in frictional driving engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of said film and passing around the terminal rollers in said series to the inside of said reel, said belt being provided throughout its length with a longitudinal series of perforations, a driving sprocket around which said beltv passes within said reel, means for rotating said sprocket at-a speed which will move the film-engaging surface of saidtraveling belt at a speed slightly faster than the positively determined speed at which said film is used by said projector head, and a filmfeeding sprocket adapted to draw thefilm -con-- tinuously away from said belt as it is fed thereby and toward said machine atthe same rate of speed that the film is used by the machine and thus being adapted to control the amount of pressure of the film upon said belt and the consequent friction of the latter on the film and thus causing said belt to feed the film at a faster rate when the latter is tightened by said film-feeding sprocket and at a slower rate when such film becomes loose so that thereby the positive drawing pull of this latter sprocket upon the film will automatically control and vary the rate of speed at which the film is fed thereto by said faster traveling belt.

-2. In a device for rewinding continuous motion picture film upon the top of the periphery of a substantially annular coiled roll thereof from the inside of whichsuch film is returned to the projector head in an automatic projecting machine, in combination, anannularstationary reel for the coiled film comprising a circular series of idler rollers, an endless friction drive belt for revolving the coiled film on the reel passing over a chosen arouate number of said idler rollers at the top of the circular series thereof in frictional driving engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of said film and passing around the terminal rollers in said-upper arcuate number thereof to the inside of .said reel, and a driving pulley for said belt around which it passes within said reel, one of said idler rollers in the bottom portion of said-circular series thereof being an outwardly flaring cone-shaped roller so as thereby effectively to serve as a film-delivering roller around which the innermost coil of said film passes inwardly and upwardly at the outside of said coiled roll thereof in the upwardly'returning movement of this portion of said continuous film to said projector head.

3. In a device for rewinding continuous motion picture film upon the top of the periphery of a substantially annular coiled roll thereof from the inside of which such film is returned to the projector head in an automatic projecting machine, in combination, an annular stationary reel for the coiled film comprising a circular series of idler rollers, an endless friction drive belt for revolving the coiled film on the reel passing over a chosen arcuate number of said idler rollers at the top of the circular series thereof in frictional driving engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of said film and passing around the terminal rollers in said upper arcuate number thereof to the inside of said reel,'said belt being provided throughout its length with a longitudinal series of perforations, a driving sprocket around which said belt passes within said reel, driving connections for positively rotating said sprocket from the projector head mechanism at a speed which will move the filinengaging surface of said traveling belt at a speed slightly faster than the positively determined speed at which said film is used by said projector head, one of said idler rollers adjacent the bottom of said reel being an outwardly flaring cone-shaped roller to serve as a film-deliver- "projector head.

- 4. In a device for rewinding continuous motion picture film upon the top of the periphery of a,

substantially annular coiled roll thereof from the inside of which such film is returned to the projector head in an automatic projecting machine, in combination, an annular stationary reel for the coiled film comprising a circular series of idler rollers, an endless friction drive belt for revolving the coiled film on the reel passing over a chosen arcuate number of said idler rollers at the top'of the circular series thereof in frictional.

driving engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of said film and passing around theterminal rollers in said upper arcuate number thereof to the inside of said reel, said belt being provided throughout its length with a 1ongitudinal series of perforations, a driving sprocket around which saidJoelt passes within said reel,

v driving connections for positively rotating said sprocket from the projector head mechanism at a speed which will move the film-engaging surface of said traveling belt at a speed slightly faster than the positively determined speedat 'said belt being of channel shape throughout its which said film is used by said projector head,

length along its film-engaging side so as to have frictional driving engagement only with the marginal portions of the film to the exclusion of the intermediate body portion of the film, one of the the innermost coil of said returning film is pushed out inwardly and upwardly by said belt to be returned upwardly at the outside of said reel to said projector head, and an outwardly tapering coneshaped idlzr 'roller adjacent to said projector head for guiding such upwardly returning film portion to said projector head.

5. Ina device for rewinding continuous motion picture film upon the periphery of a substantially annular coiled roll thereof from the.inner side of which such film is'returned to the projector head in an automatic projecting machine, in combination, a pair of similar axially aligned film-- controlling sprockets adjacent the front of said projector head coupled together and positively continuously driven in unison from the projector head mechanism at a peripheral speed in synchronisrri with the rate of speed at which the film is used by the projector head mechanism, one of said sprockets being a take-off sprocket for the used film in line with and in engagement with such film as it comes from the projector headfilm from the inner side of the lower portion of said coiled roll of film to said intake sprocket, an annular stationary reel for the coiled roll of film comprising a circular series of idler rollers, anendless friction drive belt passing over a chosen upper arcuate number of said idler rollers at the top of said reel in frictional engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of said film and passing downwardly and inwardly around the terminal rollers in said upper arcuate ni'imber thereof to the inside of said reel, a driving sprocket around which said belt passes within said reel, positively acting driving connections between said pair of film-controlling sprockets and said belt-driving sprocket for positively rotating the latter sprocket at a speed which will move the film-engaging surface of said traveling belt at a speed slightly faster than the linear speed at which the film is positively moved by said pair of film-controlling sprockets, and an outwardly flaring cone-shaped idler roller forming one of said circular series of idler rollers in the lower portion of said reel around which the innermost coil of said returning film is pushed out inwardly and upwardly by said belt to return upwardly at the outside of said reel to said outwardly tapering cone-shaped film-guiding idler roller.

6. In a device for rewinding continuous motion picture'film upon the-top of the periphery of a substantially annular coiled roll thereof from the inside of which such film is returned to the projector head in an automatic projecting machine, in combination, an annular stationary reel for the coiled film comprising a circular series of idler rollers, an endlessfriction drive belt for revolving the coiled film on the reel passing over 'a.chosen arcuate number of said idler rollers at the top of the circular series thereof in frictional driving engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of saidfilm and passing around the terminal rollers in said upper arcuate number thereof to the inside of said reel, and a driving pulley for said belt around which it passes within said reel, said belt being of channel shape throughout its length along its film-engaging side 'so as to have frictional driving engagement only with the marginal portions of the film to the exclusion of the intermediate body portion of the film, each of saidupper arcuate number of idler rollers having a smooth straight cylindrical surface extending along its length cone-shaped idler roller for guiding ascending throughout the width of said belt and the other idler rollers in said circular series thereof being of reduced diameter between end portions thereof of larger diameter so as to engage only with the marginal portions of the film to the exclusion of the intermediate bodyportion of the film.

'7. In a device for rewinding continuous motion picture film upon the top of the periphery of a substantially annular coiled roll thereof from the inside of which such film is returned to the projector head in an automatic projecting machine, in combination, an annular stationary reel for the coiled film comprising a circular series of a speed which will move the film-engaging sur-' face of said traveling belt at a speed slightly faster than the positively determined speed at which said film used by said projector head, said belt, being of channel shape throughout its length along its film-engaging side so as to have frictional driving engagement only with the marginal portions of the film to the exclusion of the intermediate body portion of the film, each of' said upper arcuate number of idler rollers having a'smooth straight cylindrical surface extending along its length throughout the-width of said belt and the other idler rollers in said circular series thereof being of reduced diameter between end portions thereof of larger diameter so as to engage only with the marginal portions of the film to the exclusion of the intermediate body portion of the film.

8. In a device for rewinding and feeding continuous film to a motion picture machine from within a coiled annulus thereof upon the periphery of which the used film is rewound, in combination, guiding means adapted to guide said film annulus for revolving movement of the latter, an endless friction feed belt having a film-feeding friction surface in frictional engagement with the inner face of the innermost coil of filmin said annulus adapted to impart a linear feed move ment tothe-film and revolution to the annulus thereof, guiding means for said belt, driving' means for said belt adapted to moveits filmfeeding friction surface at a faster rate of speed than the film is used by said machine, and positively acting feed means adapted to draw the film continuously away from the friction surface of said belt and toward said machine at the same rate of speed that the film is used by said machine, so that thereby the drawing pull of said feed means upon thefilm automatically controls the rate of speed at which the film is fed to said feed means from within said film annulus by said friction feed belt and causes the latter to feed the film at a faster rate when the latter is tightened by said feed means and at a slower rate when such film becomes loosened.

9. In a device for rewinding'and feeding continuous film to a motion picture machine from within'a coiled annulus thereof upon the periphery of which the used film is rewound, in combination, guiding means adapted to guide said film annulus for revolving movement of the latter, an endless friction feed belt having a film-feeding friction surface in frictional engagement with a segmental portion only of the inner face of the innermost coil of film in said annulus adapted to impart a linear feed movement to the film and revolution to the annulus thereof, guiding means for said belt, driving means for said belt adapted to move its film-feeding friction surface at a faster rate of speed thanthe film is used by said machine, and positively acting feed means adapted to draw the film continuously away from the friction surface of said belt and toward said machine at the same rate of speed that the film is used by said machine, so that thereby the drawing pull of said feed means upon the film automatically controls the rate of speed at which the film is fed to said feed means from within said film annulus by said friction feed belt and causes the latter to feed the film at a faster rate when the latter is tightened by said feed means and at a slower rate when such film becomes loosened.

10. In a device for rewinding and feeding continuous film to a motion picture machine from Within a coiled annulus thereof upon the periphery of which the used film is rewound, in combination, guiding means adapted to guide said film annulus for revolving movement of the latter about a horizontal axis, an endless friction feed belt having a film-feeding friction surface in frictional engagement with an upper segmental portion only of the inner face of the innermost coil of film in said annulus adapted to impart a linear feed movement tothe film and revolution to the annulus thereof, meansadapted to direct the used film to the top of the periphery of said revoluble film annulus, guiding means for said belt, driving means for said belt adapted to move' its film-feeding friction surface at a faster rate of speed than the film is used by said machine,

/ and positively acting feed means adapted to draw said feed means upon the film automatically controls the rate of speed at which the film is fed to said feed. means from within the upper portion of said film annulus by said friction feed belt and causes the latter to feed the film at a faster rate when the latter is tightened by said feed means and at a slower rate when such film becomes loosened. I

HECTOR J. STREYCKMANS. 

